Tell Me Everything I Need To Know Before I Buy A HDTV?
Here is what I know so far. I primarily buy Panasonic products, but am not opposed to other national brands with exception to RCA.
I need a screen no smaller than 26" and no bigger than 32".
I would prefer a monitor type television since I would like to have the ability to connect my computer to it now or in the future.
So here is where I am lost. Plasma or LCD. What is DVI, is the market even settled on a compatable format or should I wait?
Any knowlegable advice is appreciated. Thanks!
Answer:
The fact that you are capping your screen size at 32" that solves the big debate between plasma vs. LCD. Plasmas only come in 42" or larger. You will need to get an LCD.
DVI is one of two digital connector standards. DVI is still mainstream standard for computer video cards, where HDMI is the dominant standard for home theater industry.
You will not find a DVI connector on a TV anymore. It's an obsolete connection. TVs now have HDMI connectors. It is running off the same standard, but different type of connectors. There are adapters that will allow you to connect a DVI connector on a computer to a HDMI connector on a LCD TV.
Panasonic and LG are the best brands to go with. The other brands are okay, but do not have the best video quality.
When shopping for LCD, you are looking at constrast ratio, response time, video support and native resolution.
Contrast ratio is a spec that tells you the brightness ratio between whites and backs. The higher number, the better. 1000:1 or higher is optimal. This will dictate color brightness.
Response time will dictate how fast the pixels will respond. If the response time is too slow, then you will see motion blur. Anything 8ms or lower will suffice.
Video support is important because this will dictate how compatible your TV is with common video resolutions. If you can, I would find a LCD TV that is compatible up to 1080p. Cheaper LCD TVs will only be compatible up to 1080i. 1080p will allow you to use it in the future for 1080p sources.
Native resolution is important. You want 720p (1280x720) or 1080p (1920x1080) native resolution. This will ensure that you get the best video quality. All video sources will be scaled to the native resolution of the TV.
The rest would be comparison and let your eyes be the judge at the store.
LCD best price for 40" or smaller, Plasma best price for 40" or bigger. Images can get burnt onto the screen of a plasma if left ont there too long, ie hours.
DVI - Digital Visual Interface, think of it like the next generation VGA. Some sets come with VGA/DVI out puts for computer use.
Get 1080p not 1080i, for more info on 1080 look at the Wiki below.
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